The last weekend in March, I was invited to the 47th annual Dionysian Gathering for the North American Branch at the Flanders Hotel in Ocean City, NJ. The Dionysian Society is the world’s oldest wine society, dating back to ancient Greece. The weekend included four wine seminars, two formal dinners paired with wines, and a sparkling wine brunch.

For one of the seminars, a panel of six winemakers from the Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association brought bottles of their Coeur d’Est (“Heart of the East”) wines. Coeur d’Est is red wine blend of two to six varietals: Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petit Verdot. The blend must contain 25%-50% Chambourcin, the French- American hybrid grape that does extremely well in the Outer Coastal Plain AVA, that is being showcased in Coeur d’Est blends. The blend can also contain: up to 50% Cabernet Franc, up to 50% Merlot, up to 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, up to 25% Syrah, and up to 15% Petit Verdot. Only grapes grown in the Outer Coastal Plain AVA can be used in the blend.

The winemakers in the panel were from Cedar Rose Vineyards in Millville, Bellview Vinery in Landisville, Auburn Road in Pilesgrove, Sharrott Winery in Hammonton, William Heritage Winery in Mullica Hill, and Saddlehill Cellars in Voorhees.

Cedar Rose Vineyards’ 2020 Coeur d’Est contains 50% Chambourcin, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Cabernet Franc. The wines are aged 14 months in French and American neutral oak (meaning that the barrels have been used four times, and still impart structure and a rounded mouthfeel, but not oak flavors, such as vanilla or butterscotch). This wine had flavors of bramble and black pepper, was medium bodied, and had balanced acidity. Coming in at 12% ABV, the winery sells their Coeur d’Est for $35.

Bellview Estate’s 2021 Coeur d’Est blend contains 30% Chambourcin, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Petit Verdot (that’s high for Petit Verdot, but more was used to prop up a not great harvest of Chambourcin that year). The wine spent 18 months in French oak, 20% of it new. This wine had flavors of blackberries and plums, spices, and vanilla. Coming in at 12% ABV, the winery sells their Coeur d’Est for $25.

Auburn Road’s 2021 Eidólon (Greek for “Ideal”) is their Coeur d’Est blend. It is named after a Walt Whitman poem called “Eidolons,” and 25 cents of each bottle sold is donated to the Walt Whitman Association in Camden, NJ. Their blend contains 42% Merlot, 34% Chambourcin, 15% Petit Verdot, and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine underwent extended maceration (juice left in contact with the skins), and spent 18 months in American oak. This wine had flavors of cherry, currants, spice, and vanilla, with chocolate and black pepper on the finish. Coming in at 12.6% ABV, the winery sells their Coeur d’Est for $24.

Sharrott Winery’s 2022 Coeur d’Est blend contains 50% Chambourcin and 50% Cabernet Franc. The wine was barrel-aged for 16 months in French, American, and Hungarian oak. The wine has flavors of dark fruit, baking spices, and chocolate. The winemaker, Larry Sharrott, recommended pairing this easy-drinking wine with BBQ or well-marbled cuts of meat. Coming in at 13.5% ABV, the winery sells their Coeur d’Est blend for $42.

William Heritage Winery’s 2022 Coeur d’Est blend contains 49% Chambourcin, 28% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. It was aged in neutral French oak for about eight months. The winemaker feels that Chambourcin’s strength it its fruitiness, so they age it a shorter time to preserve the fruit. The wine has flavors of black plums, cassis, and some salinity or salted caramel on the finish. Coming in at 13.7% ABV, the winery sells their Couer d’Est blend for $34.

Saddlehill Cellar’s 2022 Coeur d’Est blend contains 50% Chambourcin, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is aged 14 months in French and Hungarian oak, 30% of it new oak. The wine has flavors of blackberries, cherry, currants, and plums, with leather and spice on the finish. Coming in at 13% ABV, the winery sells their Couer d’Est blend for $27.

All in all, I was very impressed with these NJ wines. The next time you’re visiting one of our local wineries, check out their Coeur d’Est blend, showcasing Outer Coastal Plain Chambourcin. Cheers!